Wolf of Stone: Book 2 The Gypsy Healers Series

by Quinn Loftis

  Chapter 6

  “I’m just going to say it, I think we are doomed. Honestly, I’ve got a bunch of males trying to sniff my healers, I’ve got a Beta on the verge of either destroying himself or taking his mate and running, and a group of my people hanging out in pixie land getting kicks off the kings brother’s debacle. Hope you weren’t counting on us to save the world, because if you were, you are so screwed.” ~Peri

  “Have you had any leads?” Lucian asked his mate. Evening had fallen hours ago and Peri was still restless, unable to sit still for longer than a few seconds. He watched as she paced back and forth in their room. Her shimmering white hair was free of its usual twist that she kept it up in, and he couldn’t help but notice how alluring she was, even in her agitated state.

  “Focus,” she snapped at him, obviously having picked up on his thoughts.

  “Make yourself a hag and then I might be able to.” Lucian was proud of himself for quickly picking up the sarcasm Peri often threw at him, and he knew that she enjoyed their verbal sparring.

  “I’m afraid there is just no way to ruin this perfection; you’re up a creek.”

  “What creek?”

  She rolled her eyes at him. Obviously he had not understood her reference. He would have to ask Sally what it meant. His mate wouldn’t explain it because she got too much joy out of seeing him at a slight disadvantage to her. He humored her because it made her happy.

  “I’m missing something,” she finally answered his first question. “Volcan wouldn’t have just gone into that field with no backup plan. He had to have known that there was a possibility that he would be thwarted, especially because of Lorelle’s indiscretion.”

  “What do you mean a backup plan?”

  “I mean that he knew there was a possibility that he would lose possession of the healers. Because of that possibility, he would have set up some sort of contingency plan, some way to ensure he still could benefit from them.”

  Lucian agreed with her. Any good strategist always had multiple plans, because the first one usually did not play out the way it was supposed to. But, like Peri, he felt as though he was missing something. “It feels like it should be obvious,” he told her.

  She nodded as she stopped her pacing and faced him, her arms crossed in front of her chest and lips pulled tight in a thin line. “Exactly. Ugh!” she growled. “I hate it when something is staring me smack in the face and I can’t get it to just reach out and slap me.”

  There was a light knock on the door and then Costin’s head popped in. “I’m sorry but all I heard was just reach out and slap me and honestly my curiosity got the better of me.”

  Lucian could hear Sally behind him. “Shut the door, you dork, or Lucian just might kill you.”

  Peri’s eyes narrowed on the young wolf, well young in comparison to Lucian, and she took a step toward him. “In what universe would you ever think that your curiosity was any concern of mine? There is only one reason that I am letting you walk away, Costin of the Serbian pack, and that is because I like your mate and don’t want her to die. Now, shut the door. If you want to leave your head in the doorway while you do it, feel free.”

  Costin’s eyes danced with playfulness. Lucian was convinced the Beta had no self-preservation instincts.

  “Wow, you really should have been born a she-wolf. I’ve never met someone who more adequately embodies the term bit—,” Costin was cut off as he growled and his head was jerked back and the door pushed closed.

  Lucian smiled. He had seen Sally’s small hand with a handful of her mate’s hair. He liked that one. She was unassuming, but underneath she was strong as steel.

  “I honestly don’t know how he has survived for sixty years,” Peri said as she turned back to look at him.

  Lucian reached out his hand, beckoning her to him. He had given her the space she seemed to need but he was done with not touching her for the day. “If it will please you, beloved, I’ll be sure to be extra hard on him tomorrow during our sparring.”

  Peri stepped into him and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her between his legs to his chest. His forehead rested on her stomach and he purred as her fingers ran through his hair. He was convinced there was nothing on earth better than her touch.

  “Just make sure to not break anything that would take too long to heal. I don’t need injured wolves when we make our move.”

  Lucian nuzzled his face against her causing her shirt to rise up enough for him to press his lips to her warm skin. For his wolf, there was nothing better than skin-on-skin touch with their mate and he felt the beast sigh in contentment. “As you wish,” he whispered against her.

  The room was suddenly dim and Lucian couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. His female was powerful, an Alpha in every sense of the word.

  She placed her hands on either side of his face and slowly tilted it until he was looking into her pale green eyes. “And what is it you wish, wolf?”

  Lucian knew his eyes were glowing as his wolf perked up at the tone in Peri’s voice. It was more than a question; it was a challenge to pursue her, hunt her, and claim her. Yes, his mate was powerful. He loved that, but he loved even more that in his arms she became just a woman, his woman in need of him and only him. Before he could answer she flashed from the room. He knew where she would eventually end up, but he would humor her and follow her trail. The hunt was on and the reward would be well worth the time and energy.

  ~

  Nick watched as the young healer, Kara, walked along the edge of the forest. He had noticed she tended to slip out of the house alone in the early evening. He had told himself that as a Beta, nearly as dominant as an Alpha, his instinct to protect was off the charts and that was why he had been sure to follow her and keep an eye on her from a distance. Her human senses would never be able to pick up on his presence, not unless he wanted her to notice him. But he didn’t, since she was only sixteen and he knew that it would not be appropriate for them to be alone together out after dark.

  “Dammit,” he growled to himself not for the first time. “What are you doing, Nick?” It also wasn’t the first time he had asked himself that question. His answer was always the same, I’m protecting a healer who is defenseless. He wouldn’t lie; he had noticed her beauty. She was small with sandy brown hair streaked with blonde. She had a diamond stud in her nose, cute as all get out, and she had the most compelling blue/green eyes he had ever seen. Even though he noticed these things, he didn’t see her the way a male sees his female, and he was very glad of that because, once again, she was only sixteen. He kept reminding himself of that and the fact that if he was attracted to her in that way then he needed the bloody crap beat out of him.

  He knew another reason he felt the need to protect her was because of the haunted look in her eyes that said she had seen far too much ugliness in her young life. Kara was very mature for her age and sometimes he did forget how young she was. She held herself in a way that made it clear she could and had taken care of herself. Nick had shamelessly listened to her and Sally talk. They didn’t discuss anything personal, not really. It was more things regarding the current challenges they were facing. Kara frequently made comments on how she wished she could help Jewel and that she wished it had been her who Lorelle had hurt instead of Jewel. This spoke volumes to Nick about her character. At sixteen she felt the responsibility of one much older, and Nick found that he wanted to remove that burden for her.

  His steps froze as he watched her kneel down and sit back on her heels. She pulled at the strands of grass around her and, after several moments, looked up at the night sky. Kara’s strong voice and the confidence with which she spoke was just one more sign that she had fended for herself for too long.

  “So I hear that you listen when your wolves talk to you.” He realized she was talking to the Great Luna. He knew he should leave and give her privacy, but his feet stayed firmly planted.

  “I don’t know if that means you will listen to me or no
t. I’m not a wolf, but according to Sally I will one day be mated to one. I’m going to jump out on a limb here and hope that you are listening.” She paused and Nick watched as Kara let out a slow breath and brushed the hair from her face.

  “Jewel needs your help. I’m willing to take her place if that is what it takes. It’s not like my life has been some grand event. I have no family. There is no one back in my realm that is missing me right now, so it really doesn’t matter if I live or not, or if I’m in a coma for the rest of my life. But Jewel has a mother, and from what we can tell she has a mate. She’s smart and has so much to offer. She has more knowledge in her little pinky than I do in my whole body. Now if you need someone who can carry two trays loaded with food and drinks then I’m your girl, but otherwise I am pretty useless. That’s really all I have to say; please just consider it. If I could do this for Jewel, then at least I could say that I have done something that actually matters.”

  Nick heard the underlying plea. Kara felt that if she took Jewel’s place then she might actually matter. It twisted his gut to hear such pain in her voice. He turned to follow her back as she walked towards Peri’s home. Nick admitted that he was impressed with her selflessness, but what he couldn’t admit was that he was steadily begging the Great Luna not to grant Kara’s request. If for no other reason than that she was a gypsy healer, precious to their race and each of them deserved to live. But also because she had a mate out there somewhere. Even though it would be two years before they would ever know, he would need her. If Kara died she left her mate to face his darkness alone until it finally consumed him.

  Nick hated to see Jewel, also a healer, so badly hurt. He wanted her to get better and wanted to see Dalton become whole because he had found his true mate. But even though he wanted those things, shamelessly he wanted Kara healthy, alive, and safe even more.

  ~

  “Okay, regardless of the fact that I can’t see all the cool little pixie people, and their beautiful realm, I know you guys have to be as bored as I am. And by bored I mean I’m thinking of banging my head repeatedly against the closest tree just to break up the monotony. I mean, seriously, other than this need to plow back through the forest all the way to Peri’s and jump in the arms of some man I don’t know, my life is not all that exciting at the moment.”

  Anna nodded. “Agreed on the whole needing to make a run for it. However, rest assured, Heather, being able to see hasn’t improved the quality of our time spent here. If anything it’s made it a tad more disturbing. Since you cannot see, you’ve missed the looks the little pixie men are giving us. You haven’t seen them eye you up and down like you’re a piece of apple pie.”

  Stella laughed. “Heather, I wish you could see Anna’s face. You would think this chick hadn’t lived in New Orleans her whole life. I know they have some interesting folks down there on the bayou. But the way she keeps shooting nervous glances at the curious pixies, it’s like she’s never been out of her house.”

  “Curious?” Anna balked. “They are a tad more than curious, Stella. I mean that spike haired one asked if he could see if my excreters were larger than his head.”

  “Wait, where was I when this happened and what are excreters?” Adam spoke up as he took a seat next to Crina.

  Heather and Stella were laughing so hard they could hardly speak.

  “Apparently that’s a pixie term for breast,” Elle answered for them.”

  “Oh that is awesome!” Adam threw his head back and laughed.

  Anna shook her head with and grumbled. “You wouldn’t think it was awesome if it was your excreters he was asking about.” She turned from the laughing bunch and looked at Sorin who, though he wasn’t laughing, did have an amused expression on his handsome face. “Sorin, how much longer will we have to be here?”

  “And where is Peri?” Stella added as she wiped the moisture from her laughter from her eyes. “I thought she said she would be checking in with us.”

  And when she does show up, how about you ask her if she knew all along that we would be getting the jitters for men we’ve never met?”

  “She has been here,” Elle answered for her mate. “Or rather I should say she has stopped in once.”

  “We’ve been here a month and she’s only stopped in once?” Heather asked having composed herself as well.

  “Well, she couldn’t look Ainsel in the face after I told her about what happened with you girls and his brother,” Elle told them. “I also told her about you three, and she seems to think some of the males back at the house are having the same issue.”

  “How did she respond to that? Is she convinced that any or all of them are potential mates to us?” Stella asked.

  “From our experience with the Great Luna, Peri was pretty sure that at least a couple if not all of you would find your mates among the males that Vasile sent to help. The Great Luna is rebuilding her race, for whatever reason she needs the Canis lupis to be strong and the fastest way to make that happen is to have mated pairs. That means she isn’t just going to let five gypsy healers go around willy nilly unclaimed,” Elle explained.

  “So why is Peri keeping us apart then?” Anna’s eyes narrowed.

  “Because sometimes Peri seems to think she knows what’s best even…,”

  “Even if she’s as wrong as pixie with a penis as a nose,” Adam finished for her.

  Elle pointed at him, “Exactly.”

  “Okay, so the healers are having mating pains, the males are pining for them, and here we sit surrounded by pixies gone wild,” Crina growled. “Did she know when she decided to pawn us off on these little beings that they were such perverts? I mean the king’s brother has a—,”

  “We know, we know,” Adam chuckled. “Let’s not rehash it or I’ll just start laughing all over again.”

  “Peri’s only thought was to keep you all safe,” Sorin spoke up, “even if it meant a little discomfort because of a new mate bond, and perverted pixies”

  The group was quiet for a few minutes before Heather spoke up again. “I take it back. I am not bored. Just keep those little male pixies a coming. Who knows what they’ll say next.”

  “Should we tell her what they asked about her?” Anna whispered just as Stella started shushing her.

  “Anna,” Heather said slowly. “What is the stripper trying to hide from me?”

  “Dancer,” Stella corrected dryly.

  “You say Texas; I say most awesome state on Earth—same difference.” Heather waved her off. “Now, Anna, what did the little blue men say?”

  “They aren’t actually bl—,”

  “Not the point,” Heather cut Elle off.

  Anna let out a long sigh. “Why do I always get stuck having to repeat things that should never be repeated?” When nobody responded she finally answered. “First, they asked if it was difficult for you to see. I thought they were being wise guys so I said, 'I guess, why do you ask?' Then they said, 'Well, how can she see through her undergarments?' Naturally that got Stella and I a little more curious. You were actually gone to the restroom at this point, so we asked them to explain what they were talking about. They asked if a spell was put on you by a jilted lover like the king’s brother.”

  Heather’s head tilted to the side as she considered Anna’s words. “I don’t get it? What kind of spell would have been put on me?”

  “Well, they thought perhaps your eyes had been taken by one of your many lovers because you couldn’t keep them to yourself.”

  “And where exactly would my jilted lover have put my eyes?” Heather asked with a raised brow as she attempted to keep the humor out of her voice.

  “I thought the same thing, but don’t worry I didn’t have to ask; they offered that info right up,” Stella commented.

  “Why don’t you tell her?” Anna nodded helpfully.

  Stella laughed. “Oh no, you totally got this one.”

  “Ugh,” Anna groaned. “Fine, they said that your lover must have taken your eyes and placed them in y
our excreters so that you would only be able to see him.”

  Heather’s laughter bubbled up through the trees as she threw her head back. For a moment she was even able to ignore the constant twinge in her chest. “They think I have eyes in my…,” she couldn’t finish her sentence because she was laughing so hard.

  Twenty minutes later Elle and the other girls were sitting around the fire roasting a dinner of wild rabbit given to them by the pixies. A wide smile stretched across Crina’s face.

  “I was thinking…”

  “Never a good sign,” Elle muttered.

  Crina ignored her. “Heather, why don’t we play a little joke on the pixie male population?”

  “I’m listening,” Heather said and leaned towards the she-wolf’s voice.

  ~

  Dalton looked at the clock for the tenth time in the past ten minutes. He knew it was the tenth time because each time he had looked at it only a minute had passed since the last time, and that was ten minutes before. He stood and began to pace the room as he had been doing off and on for the entire day. He was restless. The week had been dragging and now here it was mere hours until October thirty-first. A thought occurred to him as he took three long strides and pulled open the door to Jewel’s room. Sally was sitting in a chair in the hallway reading a book, which was where he saw her the last time he had pulled the door open.

  “Does it just have to be on the day of her birth, or will it be at the specific time of her birth as well?”

  Sally turned the page of her book and answered without ever looking up. “Don’t know.”

  Dalton shut the door with a frustrated growl. That same monotone uninterested tone of voice had laced Sally’s response to every question he had posed to her. She really didn’t like him. He could live with that; as long as she took care of Jewel and kept her healthy, he could live with just about anything Sally could dish out. He resumed his pacing, glancing down at Jewel every few minutes and up at the clock every minute in between glances.